


My Own Fault

by queen_scribbles



Category: Pillars of Eternity
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-09
Updated: 2018-09-09
Packaged: 2019-07-10 03:25:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15940814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queen_scribbles/pseuds/queen_scribbles
Summary: For Prompt fill #55: Handicap.





	My Own Fault

**Author's Note:**

> For Prompt fill #55: Handicap.

 

As injuries went, it could’ve been worse. She’d seen worse, inflicted worse, had worse. Recently, in fact. But that didn’t stop Tavi’s groan of disappointment when Keya told her to rest for at least a day to recover from her newly acquired concussion.

The orlan chuckled sympathetically in response. “Sorry, Watcher. You’ll like this even less: your wrist’s prob’ly going to be sore for three. But that’s not as bad, I’m more worried about the concussion. So when I say rest for a day, it’s not a suggestion. I mean it.”

“No, I got that, loud and clear,” Tavi muttered. She closed her eyes and masaged her forehead with her fingertips. “Berath’s bony ass, Key, what am I supposed to do for a _day_?!”

“Nothing. That’s the point,” Keya said, flipping one teal braid back over her shoulder. Otherwise I would tell you to contemplate the wisdom of maybe, next time you spar with Edér, _not_  telling him you wanna go ‘ _all out_ ’.” ‘Cause this wouldn’t have happened and he wouldn’t feel guilty.”

“He doesn’t need to,” Tavi protested as she got settled more comfortably in bed. “It was my idea, and I’m the one who didn’t block worth shit.”

“Most people feel guilty when they hurt their friends, Watcher,” Keya said dryly. “Even if said friend was being a reckless idiot and it’s largely their own damn fault.”

“Great bedside manner you got there,” Tavi grumbled sarcastically. She’d literally just claimed responsibility, but hearing it in Keya’s no nonsense tone hit a nerve. “Ain’t I s’pposed to be restin’, not bickerin’ with the healer?”

“Took the words right out of my mouth.” One blonde-furred ear twitched in amusement as Keya turned to exit the room. “Best case scenario, take a long-ass nap. This is pretty mild as concussions go, so long as you get enough rest, you should be mostly recovered by this time tomorrow. You’ll still need to take it easy--’specially with that wrist--but it won’t be as borin’ as today.” She paused in the doorway. “If you can’t get to sleep, just stare at the ceiling and don’t think of anything. Thinking is not resting.”

“I’ll do my best, but you better pray I don’t have any of the fuckin’ Watcher dreams, then,” Tavi mumbled. She  _was_  tired, now that the adrenaline of her ill-fated match was fading. Her problem recently had been more  _staying_  asleep than  _falling_  asleep, so she wasn’t optimistic about how that form of ‘rest’ would go.

                                       ~~x~~        ~~x~~      ~~x~~

The tricky thing with thinking about nothing was when you _tried_  to do it, you inevitably wound up thinking about  _something_. And unfortunately for Tavi, her mind had something at the ready. The very thing she’d been trying to distract herself from when she asked Edér to spar; Kana and Aloth were both out on missions due to kith who’d come with petitions. Even knowing both of them were capable individuals who could take care of themselves, she still worried. A little bit.

Especially for Aloth, which wasn’t at all related to their recently divulged feelings. It _wasn’t_. She’d be worried about any of her friends, traveling to warn the vassals of a cruel and demanding lord he planned retribution for their discontent. What if Lord Byrnwigar caught on? What if he _did_  something?

_This is the exact opposite of what Keya told you to do. Stop worrying and rest._

_Yeah, easier said than done,_  she retorted. She was too used to being on alert to relax just like that.

Or so she thought. It only took about ten seconds of staring at the ceiling to fall asleep. _Tireder’n I thought..._ was the last thing to cross her mind before succumbing to exhaustion.

                                      ~~x~~        ~~x~~      ~~x~~ 

The Watcher dreams were kind enough to limit themselves to flickering images of adra this time, and one or two flashes of faces her past self might have recognized but Tavi didn’t. Nothing off-putting or confusing, for which she was grateful. She slept for several hours, and her headaches was mostly gone by the time she woke, which she took as a good sign. (She needed one of those; her wrist was still very sore) Another good sign was that with less adrenaline and more rest, she felt significantly less worried about Kana and Aloth on their respective missions.

_Wonder if paranoia or cynicism is a side effect of concussions.._. Tavi thought idly, tracing the stitchwork on her quilt with a fingertip. It was something to ask Keya, whenever she returned to check in.

Someone knocked on her door.

_Speak of the Usher.._.. “Come in.” Tavi pushed herself into a semi-sitting position.

It wasn’t Keya. “Hey, Tavi.”

“Hey, Edér.” She bit back a smile. He still looked sheepish as Hel. “Oh, c’mon, Teylecg, I’m _fine_. If a shitty little love tap like that could seriously hurt me, I’d’ve been dead a _ **long**_ fuckin’ time ago.”

One side of his mouth twisted into a reluctant smile. “Still looks like it hurt, though.”

“I mean....” Tavi shrugged. “No one likes headaches.” She rocked her injured wrist back and forth, winced at even the slight movement. “And, won’t lie, this is gonna be a pain in the ass to deal with.”

Edér chuckled. “’Least you got a week ‘fore Aloth and Kana get back, so it’ll likely heal up b’fore you gotta go anywhere.” He paused, cocked his head. “You _were_ plannin’ on hangin’ around here ‘til they get back, right?”

Her face warmed at being so transparent. “Yeah. Nothin’ against ev’ryone else, but I like havin’ the two of them with me. You’re good company, though.”

He grinned. “Even when I’m tryin’ to kill ya?”

She snorted(which she regretted). “Please, I”ve had people try t’ kill me, that’s not what that was. That was a shield strike I didn’t fuckin’ brace for properly.” He still looked like he felt guilty, so she leaned forward and gestured him closer.  “Edér, I swear to Hylea, that was nothin’. I’ve...” Gods, she’d hoped to never bring this up again. “I’ve literally done worse to myself. So aside from sparrin’ bein’ my idea in the first fuckin’ place, you got nothin’ on me.”

Edér’s eyes narrowed. “I know you’re s’pposed to be restin’ and Keya’ll likely have my hide, but that sounds like a story I gotta hear.”

“It ain’t long, so that should be fine,” Tavi said. Her headache pulsed again, but she ignored it. “It was right when I started driftin’. I figured I needed a better way to protect myself than just my blazin’ fists, so I started practicin’ with twin blades. That seemed to be the best way to do the most damage, y’know?”

He nodded. “Makes sense.”

“Anyway, this one day when I’m practicin’--alone, thank fuck--I decide to try out a new move, somethin’ one-” She cleared her throat. He didn’t need to know _everything_ yet. “Somethin’ I’d seen used before. Turned out to be harder than it looked and I, uh, knocked myself out. Gave myself a black eye in the process, too. Spent three fuckin’ days nursin’ a headache and a bad case of wounded pride. So trust me, you accidentally hittin’ me hard enough I fell on my ass and banged my head is no big deal. Accordin’ to Keya, the concussion and headache bit should be better by tomorrow, so it’s nothin’ to worry about. I might, however, need help with stuff after that thanks to this”--she held up her wrist--”if you’re feelin’ a need to do somethin’ as an apology.”

“Subtle, Tav,” Edér laughed.

“Hey, you’re the one mopin’ like ya nearly killed me,” Tavi grinned. “Figured that would make sense as penance, if you want.”

He shrugged. “Seems fair. If you don’t go too crazy.”

“No promises,” she smirked.

Edér laughed. “Yeah, you’re right. You’re gonna be fine. But in light of that, I’ll let you get some more sleep.”

“Mmkay,” Tavi said around a perfectly timed yawn. She was still sort of tired. And Keya had said sleep was good. She liked this plan. Still, she waited until Edér had left the room to settle in for round two of thankfully near-dreamless sleep. 


End file.
